177561: Does the fact that Allah answers the prayers of the disbelievers indicate that what they believe is true?

I am a Muslim convert, Alhamdulillah. I was raised a misguided Christian kaafir, and then Allah guided me to Islam and the Sunnah. However, I then adopted Shiite beliefs and did many horrible sins like insulting the Sahaba of the Prophet : such as Abu Bakr, Umar, Uthman, Lady Aisha, etc (May Allah Bless Them All). I have just repented and returned to the Sunnah and I am a Sunni Muslim insha'Allah and Alhamdulillah! I'm crying in repentance, may Allah accept it. What should I do with Shi'ite books I have since they have the name of Allah written in them should I put them away somewhere or throw them out?
Also I suffer from terrible waswas (likely from the sins of cursing the sahaba, and lying against Allah with blasphemies like comparing his creation to him with the Shi'ites so-called "12 Imams" which are all scholars of Ahl al-Sunnha like Ali ibn Abi Talib RA, etc. and the Mahdi will be born later at the end of time when the Muslim Prophet Isa AS returns). I don't even want to speak of them, as I know the hadith says not to talk or act upon the waswas one hears. But I feel as if the shaytan is giving me horrific waswas to try to scare me about whether the Deen I know is true really is true Allah FORGIVE ME (I'm nearly crying as I write this)!!! The shaytan's waswas tells me "are you sure about Allah" and then shaytan scares me with thoughts that other accursed kuffar pagan religions allegedly are "appealing" I know the hadith tells us that at the time of death these fears can occur http://islam-qa.com/en/ref/60191/death%20jew%20christian And you said this the greatest trial. I know that Allah is the truth and Islam is the only salvation from the accursed hellfire Allah Protect me. Allah is One and Prophet Muhammad ibn Abdullah is his slave and final Messenger. And all the Prophets AS throughout history were Muslims as well.
Also how do we answer claims of the kuffar (like Christians, Jews, etc) who claim that their kuffar false "prayers" allegedly produced them "miracles" we know that Allah will answer the person who calls upon him and that this world is a test. I found this link interesting http://www.onislam.net/english/ask-about-islam/faith-and-worship/heart-and-soul/166077-does-allah-answer-the-prayers-of-non-muslims.html?Soul=
"But what about those millions of people around the world who will tell you that Jesus or such-and-such saint or anyone else answered their prayers? What they got in response was no more than what was already written for them. Even if they hadn’t prayed, they would have got that thing. Nothing happens by coincidence or chance in the meaning that it was unplanned by Allah. Only sincere supplication to God (Allah) alone can change what is written.
So, Allah (God) does answer non-Muslims when they ask Him for something. Anything else they get is only what was already written for them."
Also it makes me feel good to read about the stories of the miracles Allah bestowed on the Prophet and upon the righteous Muslims today like being cured of diseases like cancer see one example an American Muslim convert woman named Aminah Assilmi.

Praise be to Allaah.

Firstly:

Praise be to
Allah Who has guided you to Islam and given you the blessing of Tawheed
(belief in His Oneness), and has brought you back to the truth by His grace,
kindness and blessing. We ask Allah to make you steadfast in adhering to the
truth and to guide you to true guidance and goodness, and to help you to
fear Him in word and deed. You have done well by wishing to learn and in
your eagerness to find out the truth. We ask Allah to bless you with
understanding of Islam.

Secondly:

If you know
of some daa‘iyahs (callers to Islam) and seekers of knowledge who are
trustworthy in terms of their knowledge and methodology, who need such books
in order to refute the Shi‘ah and point out how they are misguided, you
could give these books to them, so long as they are safe from their evil and
can make use of them in calling people to the right way.

If you are
not able to do that, then you can destroy them by burning them, burying them
or cutting them up in such a way as to obscure verses of the Qur’aan and
names of Allah, and if some words remain visible that does not matter. You
could use a paper shredder for this purpose.

What you are
facing of waswaas (whispers from the Shaytaan) is something ordinary that
happens to believers; you should not be worried or distracted by it, but you
have to try to get rid of it by doing the following:

1.
Seeking refuge with Allah and
seeking His help

2.
Remembering Allah and trying to
control your thoughts so that you can put a stop to these whispers

3.
Focusing strongly on worship
and following the commands of Allah, seeking His pleasure thereby. When you
focus completely on worship in a serious and real manner, you will forget
about the distraction of these whispers, in sha Allah.

4.
Turning to Allah a great deal
and calling upon Him in du‘aa’, asking Him to heal you from this problem.

1.
Du‘aa’ in the sense of worship.
What is meant is that a person worships Allah, may He be exalted,
persistently with any kind of worship, in the heart, by physical actions or
in financial terms.

2.
Du‘aa’ in the sense of asking,
which is asking to be given that which is of benefit or for that which is
harmful to be warded off. In other words it is asking Allah, may He be
exalted, for that which will benefit one in this world and in the Hereafter,
and to ward off that which will harm him in this world and in the Hereafter.

The
supplication of the disbelievers, if it is a supplication to someone other
than Allah, such as the supplication of the Christians to their object of
worship the Messiah (peace be upon him) or to the Virgin Mary, or the
supplication of idol worshippers to their idols, is a supplication based on
misguidance that will not bring any benefit; rather it will be a cause of
punishment for them in the Hereafter, because it is associating others with
Allah, may He be exalted.

Allah, may
He be exalted, says (interpretation of the meaning):

“For Him
(Alone) is the Word of Truth (i.e. none has the right to be worshipped but
He). And those whom they (polytheists and disbelievers) invoke, answer them
no more than one who stretches forth his hand (at the edge of a deep well)
for water to reach his mouth, but it reaches him not, and the invocation of
the disbelievers is nothing but an error (i.e. of no use)”

[ar-Ra ‘d
13:14].

Ibn Katheer
(may Allah have mercy on him) said in his Tafseer (2/785):

What is
meant is that just as the one who stretches forth his hand to the water,
either to take some of it from a distance will not benefit from the water
that does not reach his mouth, similarly these mushrikeen who worship
another god alongside Allah will never benefit from that in this world or in
the Hereafter. End quote.

Sixthly:

The
supplication of the disbelievers to Allah may be answered sometimes, for
reasons such as establishing proof against the disbelievers or to prove
their disbelief, denial and stubbornness; or to restore justice to those
among them who have been wronged, because Allah enjoins justice and forbids
injustice; or because He has guaranteed to provide for them in this world,
so if they ask Him for provision He grants it to them; or to manifest His
kindness, generosity and blessing to all people.

Allah, may
He be exalted, says (interpretation of the meaning):

“And when
harm touches you upon the sea, those that you call upon besides Him vanish
from you except Him (Allah Alone). But when He brings you safely to land,
you turn away (from Him). And man is ever ungrateful”

[al-Isra’
17:67].

“Say (O
Muhammad SAW): Who rescues you from the darkness of the land and the sea
(dangers like storms), when you call upon Him in humility and in secret
(saying): If He (Allah) only saves us from this (danger), we shall truly be
grateful.

Say (O
Muhammad SAW): Allah rescues you from it and from all (other) distresses,
and yet you worship others besides Allah”

[al-An‘aam
6: 63-64]

“Is not
He (better than your gods) Who responds to the distressed one, when he calls
Him, and Who removes the evil, and makes you inheritors of the earth,
generations after generations. Is there any ilah (god) with Allah? Little is
that you remember!”

[an-Naml
27:62]

“And He
gave you of all that you asked for, and if you count the Blessings of Allah,
never will you be able to count them. Verily! Man is indeed an extreme
wrong-doer, - a disbeliever (an extreme ingrate, denies Allah’s Blessings by
disbelief, and by worshipping others besides Allah, and by disobeying Allah
and His Prophet Muhammad SAW)”

[Ibraaheem
14:34].

The apparent
meaning of these verses indicates that the fact that Allah answers some of
the prayers of the disbelievers is to prove their disbelief and denial, and
to establish proof against them, or to manifest His mercy, grace and
kindness by helping those who are in desperate need and saving those who are
in distress.

The
Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) said: “Fear
the prayer of the oppressed, even if he is a disbeliever, for there is no
barrier (between it and Allah).”

This
indicates that Allah responds to the prayer of the disbeliever who is
wronged, because Allah enjoins justice and forbids injustice, and He
restores justice to those who are wronged even if they are disbelievers,
because His justice is perfect.

Shaykh
al-Islam Ibn Taymiyah said in Majmoo‘ al-Fataawa, 1/206:

All of
mankind, both believers and disbelievers, ask of Allah and Allah may answer
the supplication of the disbeliever. If the disbelievers ask Allah for
provision, He grants them provision and water. If harm touches them at sea,
they will turn to no one except Him. Then when He brings them safely to
land, they turn away and man is ever ungrateful. End quote.

He also said
in Majmoo‘ al-Fataawa, 1/233:

With regard
to answering the prayers of those who ask, in general terms Allah answers
the supplication of the one who is in distress and of the one who is
wronged, even if he is a disbeliever. End quote.

Seventhly:

The fact
that Allah answers the supplication of the disbelievers does not imply that
He loves them or that He supports or honours them, or that He is pleased
with their religion and beliefs. Rather that might be part of letting them
get carried away (in their misguidance) and hastening good things for them
in this world so that they may taste the punishment in the Hereafter. Allah,
may He be glorified and exalted, does not love the disbelievers and is not
pleased with them or their disbelief.

Ibn al-Qayyim
said in Ighaathat al-Lahfaan, 1/13:

Not everyone
whose supplication Allah answers has attained His pleasure or love, nor is
He pleased with his actions. He may answer the prayers of the righteous and
evildoers, believers and disbelievers.

Many people
offer supplication in which they overstep the mark, or stipulate conditions,
or ask for things for which it is not permissible to ask. Then they get that
or some of it, and they think that their actions are righteous and pleasing
to Allah, but they are in the same position as one who is given abundant
wealth and children so that he might get carried away (in his misguidance),
whilst he thinks that Allah is hastening to give him all good things. But
Allah, may He be exalted, says (interpretation of the meaning):

“So, when
they forgot (the warning) with which they had been reminded, We opened to
them the gates of every (pleasant) thing, until in the midst of their
enjoyment in that which they were given, all of a sudden, We took them to
punishment, and lo! They were plunged into destruction with deep regrets and
sorrows.”

[al-An‘aam
6:44].

Supplication
may be an act of worship for which the one who does it will be rewarded, or
it may be asking to have one’s needs met but that may be harmful to the
individual: either he will be punished as a result of what he gets or he
will be lowered in status, so he gets his needs met but is punished for
neglecting his duties or overstepping the mark. End quote.

Not everyone
to whom Allah grants provision and help, whether in response to his
supplication or otherwise, is among those whom Allah loves and helps; rather
He, may He be glorified, grants provision to believers and disbelievers,
righteous and evildoers. He may answer their supplication to give them what
they ask for in this world, but they have no share of the hereafter.

The scholars
stated that some disbelievers who were Christians besieged a Muslim city and
their water ran out, so they asked the Muslims to give them some fresh water
and they would lift the siege from them. The Muslim leaders discussed the
matter and said, rather we should leave them until thirst has weakened them,
then we can defeat them. Then the Christians prayed for rain and asked Allah
to give them water, and He answered their prayer. Some of the common people
were confused, so the king said to one of the scholars: Say something to
explain the situation to the people. So he issued instructions that a minbar
be set up for him and he said: O Allah, we know that these are among those
whose provision You have guaranteed, as You say (interpretation of the
meaning): “And no (moving) living creature is there on earth but its
provision is due from Allah” [Hood 11:6]. They called upon You in
distress, and You answer the one who is in distress when he calls upon You.
You granted them rain, because You have guaranteed their provision and
because they called upon You in distress, not because You love them or
because You love their religion. Now we want to see a sign that will make
faith steadfast in the hearts of Your believing slaves. So Allah sent
against them (the enemy) a wind that destroyed them, and so on.

Under this
heading also comes one who may offer supplication but overstep the mark in
doing so, either by asking for that which is not appropriate or by offering
supplication in which there is disobedience towards Allah, whether it be by
associating others with Him (shirk) or otherwise. Then if he gets some of
what he wanted, he think that this is an indication that his deed was
righteous. He is like the one who is given abundant wealth and sons so that
might get carried away (in his misguidance), so he thinks that good things
have been hastened for him. But Allah, may He be exalted, says
(interpretation of the meaning):

“Do they
think that We enlarge them in wealth and children,

We hasten
unto them with good things (in this worldly life so that they will have no
share of good things in the Hereafter)? Nay, but they perceive not”

[al-Mu’minoon
23:55].

Eighthly:

When Allah
answers some of the supplications of the disbelievers, it takes the form of
fulfilling some of their wishes with regard to worldly matters.

But when
Allah answers the supplication of the Muslim, one of three things happen:
either he is given what he asked for, or an equivalent evil is diverted from
him, or it (the reward for the supplication) is stored up for him in the
Hereafter.

The Prophet
(blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) said: “There is no Muslim who
offers supplication in which there is no sin or severing of ties of kinship,
but Allah will give him one of three things in return for it: either what he
asked for will be hastened for him, or (reward) will be stored up for him in
the Hereafter or an equivalent evil will be diverted from him.”

Narrated by
Ahmad, 10749; classed as saheeh by al-Albaani in Mishkaat al-Masaabeeh,
2199

Everyone who
offers supplication receives a response, but the response may vary.
Sometimes he will get exactly what he asked for, and sometimes he will be
compensated (with something equivalent). There are saheeh hadeeths which
speak of that. End quote.